Tony Downs Foods, which makes bacon bits for Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods, is closing its St. James. Minn., plant May 30. The company says production of Hormel’s Bacon Bits will move to Hormel’s Progressive Processing plant in Dubuque, Iowa, which opened in 2010.

The St. James plant could close in May, and the 75 employees could get jobs at other Tony Downs locations, including its Madelia plant, according to company president Mike Downs.

Hormel chose Dubuque for the first phase in its two-phase, $36-million expansion plan. It’s unclear how many jobs will come with the first phase. If Hormel puts a second new line into the Iowa plant later, the project would create a total of about 90 more jobs at the facility. Plant sites in Minnesota and Nebraska were among those considered for the expansion project.

Source: www.bringmethenews.com, www.austindailyherald.com

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